Star Gala raises over $2M for Children’s

The crowd was brought to tears following a performance by 10-year-old Caiah Rodgers, a Children’s patient and leukemia survivor, singing her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful.”

We held our Star Gala, the 21st Annual Thank God for Kids event, on April 21 to raise money to benefit the support, care, and comfort to children and families at Children’s. This year’s Star Gala had a fantastic turnout, drawing more than 940 guests to the Historic Milwaukee Road Depot to show their support.

Through silent and live auctions, sponsorships, and donations, Children’s Star Gala raised $2.1 million for the cancer and blood disorders program and the new Neuroscience Center!

The cancer and blood disorders program supports new research and provides services to treat more than 70 percent of the children with cancer in the Twin Cities, while our new Neuroscience Center will combine all brain and spine specialties in one location to improve care coordination and outcomes for kids battling head and spine injuries.

“Children’s relies heavily on community support to provide the kind of world-class care families have come to expect from us. The generosity of those who attend our gala never ceases to both amaze and humble me,” said Theresa Pesch, executive director of the Foundation of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

While the food, dancing, and auctions were a large part of the festivities, the focus of the Star Gala was on the kids that are impacted by our care. Parents Emily and Masud Mamun shared the story of their 3-year-old daughter Lyla, a brain tumor survivor, who endured multiple brain, spine and other surgeries that rendered her temporarily quadriplegic. Through the care she received at Children’s, Lyla is now walking, and thriving.

We couldn’t have pulled this event off without the help of our wonderful sponsors. Major sponsors of the 2012 Children’s Star Gala included Knutson Construction Company, UnitedHealth Group, Great Clips, Ryan Companies U.S., Inc., Whitebox Advisors, RJF Agencies, Dedicated Logistics, Best Buy and API Group, Inc.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2012 Children’s Star Gala and donated your time and money to support Children’s!

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Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Our tax identification number is 41-1814223.